Credit Scoring Factors

Ever wonder how your credit score is calculated? Fair, Isaac and Company (FICO), the biggest credit scoring company, makes clear exactly what factors it considers when determining credit scores. Most creditors and credit bureaus use Fair, Isaac's scoring system or have a system based on the Fair, Isaac system. According to Fair, Isaac, the factors considered in determining FICO scores are:

Payment history (about 35% of the score) Making payments consistently on time indicates responsibility.

Amounts owed on credit accounts (about 30% of the score) Fair, Isaac is looking to see whether you manage your credit responsibly. A large number of accounts with balances may indicate that you are over-extended.

Length of credit history (about 15% of the score) A longer credit history generally increases the score.

New credit (about 10% of the score) Fair, Isaac likes to see an established credit history, without too many new accounts. Opening several accounts in a short period can indicate greater risk.

Types of credit (about 10% of the score) Fair, Isaac is looking for a mix of different types of credit. However, this factor is usually not important if there is other sufficient information upon which to base your score.